


Challenge Accepted

by realdefonge



Category: Produce 101 (TV), Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Enemies to Lovers, Gay Chicken, M/M, Mutual Pining, Self-Indulgent, Time Skips, ongniel is still science, sexual tension and all that shit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-14
Updated: 2019-09-14
Packaged: 2020-10-18 08:33:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20636207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/realdefonge/pseuds/realdefonge
Summary: Daniel and Seongwu play a different version of gay chicken. It surprisingly gets dragged on far longer than they had intended, and they eventually realize that it may not just be fun and games anymore.





	Challenge Accepted

**Author's Note:**

> \- inspired by the viral reddit post about gay chicken  
\- rated M for language and implied sexy times  
\- the chronicles of ongniel as they play an extended game of gay chicken which lasts for years  
\- this fic is pretty much self-indulgent so it's full of nonsense xD  
\- LOTS of time skips (from their teen years to adulthood)  
\- was supposed to be a chaptered fic but I know I can't commit to that so I made it a one-shot  
\- anyway, enjoy!

Daniel could list a thousand reasons why he regrets going to an all-boys school.

Granted, he’s the type who goes ‘_ whatever’ _ to his parents’ demands, since he never really had any concrete plans for himself. He was probably on his game console when they discussed about sending him to an all-boys school for his secondary studies, to which he probably just nodded along with a ‘ _ yeah, okay _’ every once in a while.

But after years of spending his time in an institution infested by his own kind, _ aka _ males with flourishing testosterones and pre-adolescent masculinity, and after picking up bits of wisdom and undergoing self-realizations along the way, Daniel had finally begun to regret.

Regretting his decisions, or lack thereof, on his senior year— his last semester, on top of that, made him feel like an idiot. 

‘_ Why now, when my youthful days are already numbered? _’ is what Daniel would ask himself every night as he recalls the stories of his friends from grade school who keep bragging about how satisfied they are with their high school lives in co-ed schools.

School trips in co-ed schools, for instance, have this exciting and flowery atmosphere, as opposed to their all-boys school’s militaresque vibe which leaves them with painful memories rather than pleasant ones. 

Not that Daniel completely loathed the years he’d spent in his school. There were fun times, of course. It’s fun to be surrounded by people with whom you could do stupid stuff—sometimes_ overly stupid _ stuff together, without minding whether you’re aggravating anyone, because you’re all in it together anyway.

Still, the absence of the opposite gender leaves much to be desired. Daniel realized this a month ago when he went on a group blind date with his brethren (his friends from the all-boys school). 

The meetup was arranged by one of his friends from grade school, Kim Jaehwan, who goes to a co-ed school. Jaehwan was nice enough to introduce his girl-_ space _-friends to them, completely unaware that Daniel and co. were neophytes when it came to conversing with the opposite gender.

Needless to say, the blind date was tragic. Daniel, Sungwoon, Woojin, and Jihoon spent sleepless nights devising a strategic plan—from the outfits they’d wear to the topics they’d discuss—only to fail miserably after executing the plan. Daniel doesn’t even want to think about which part went wrong, because then he’d be forced to admit that nothing went right. 

Weeks passed after that, and he thought they’d already moved on from the embarrassment. But that wasn’t the case. 

Daniel has no idea why, or it could be that he simply wasn’t paying attention at all, but during one of their free study periods, his friends got into a heated discussion regarding the failed blind date, which somehow ended in the conclusion that their _ manliness _ hasn’t been tested enough.

“When and how did their pointless discussion take that kind of turn?” Daniel mumbled to himself as he flipped the next page of the comic book he was reading. The more he listened, the more he realized he didn’t want to know. It would only give him a headache.

“How about this?” Sungwoon suddenly ran to the platform and slammed his hand against the teacher’s desk to get everyone’s attention. “Let’s play gay chicken!”

The entire class immediately roared in confusion, with ‘_ What the fuck is a gay chicken? _’ as the common question. 

Half-intrigued and half-prepared to tackle Sungwoon to the floor in case he embarrasses himself further, Daniel placed his comic book down and focused his attention on his friend.

“It’s a game they play in the west. Two straight guys do gay things to each other and whoever backs out first loses!” Sungwoon explained. “The traditional way of playing is to make the competitors lean in for a kiss until one of them pulls away.”

“That game sounds a bit homophobic,” Daniel grunted. They often play stupid and silly games, being the carefree, teenage boys that they are, but this game that his friend suggested is probably the most nonsense one so far. 

“_ Tch _ . You’re no fun,” Sungwoon hissed. “Let’s just play not for the sake of determining who’s gay or straight, but to see who’s strong enough to remain firm and unbothered throughout it all.” Sungwoon took one of his classmate’s notebooks and waved it in the air. “Let’s make a draw! In two of the papers, I’ll draw chickens. Whoever gets the paper with the chickens will have to play the game! But aside from the usual ‘ _ moving your lips closely together until you’re almost kissing or until one of you backs out _’ let’s also make the chickens date each other! The one to initiate the breakup is the loser.”

Daniel sighed heavily in his seat. “Yah, Ha Sungwoon, what kind of nonsense is that?”

“Wouldn’t it be fun, though?” Jihoon asked from across the room. “It’s a challenging way to test our manhood.”

“How will this actually test our manhood?” Woojin retorted.

Their prim and proper class representative, Hwang Minhyun, suddenly commented out of nowhere. “I see. You want to know who has more balls.”

Hearing the word _ balls _ from Minhyun, of all people, made everyone go silent. A few, quiet seconds later, they all chirped in agreement. Daniel could only bang his head against his desk, because he knows that if Minhyun’s in, everyone’s in. 

And so after a while, they all found themselves lining up in front of Sungwoon to draw a piece of paper from his lunchbox—the paper that would determine their fate. 

Daniel had no choice but to just go with the flow. He just wanted to pick a paper and get back on his comic book. He lined up without much in mind, because what are the odds of getting picked among 30 students, right? Surely, he’s not that unlucky. 

“I got a blank one,” Woojin said next to Daniel as they were walking back to their seats after drawing their respective papers. “What about you, Daniel?”

Daniel shrugged as he nonchalantly unfolded his paper. “What else? Obviously—” 

“A CHICKEN!!!” Woojin shouted, earning everyone’s attention. “Daniel’s one of the chickens!”

Unable to process the current turn of events, Daniel stared blankly at the piece of paper in his hand, where a chicken (or what _ seemed _ like a chicken, judging from Sungwoon’s sad excuse of a drawing) was indeed, present. 

“That’s…impossible. How could I be—”

“A CHICKEN!!!” This time, it was Jihoon who shouted. He was in the back of the room, huddled with a few others in front of a certain classmate. “Seongwu’s also a chicken!”

Daniel immediately froze at the sound of that name. The students circling the owner of that name dispersed, giving Daniel a full view of his face—the face that belonged to the one and only Ong Seongwu. 

Compared to Daniel’s dumbfounded state, Seongwu was pretty calm, but that’s one of the things about him that Daniel finds irritating. Seongwu comes off as self-complacent, like he’s always sure of everything, and that’s why Daniel never really got along with him. 

Almost everyone in class—scratch that, the whole campus, look up to Ong Seongwu. Aside from being that cool and funny kid whom everyone wants to be friends with, Seongwu also knows a lot about winning over girls’ hearts, despite coming from an all-boys school. The fact that he’s had so many girlfriends since middle school elevated him to god-like status in their campus. 

But to Daniel, Seongwu is just a show-off. Every time they’d meet, the latter would give him the _ I’m-better-than-you _ smirk for absolutely no reason at all. Daniel is also quite popular in school for his friendly and easy-going personality, but he never thought about competing with Seongwu for the title of _ The Most Popular One _. With the way Seongwu’s been treating him, though, Daniel couldn’t help but think that maybe his classmate is determined to compete. 

“Well, well, look what we have here,” Seongwu spoke, interrupting Daniel’s train of thoughts. “Are you ready to play, Kang Daniel?”

Daniel gulped, but he couldn’t afford to look away, because doing so would be like admitting defeat. 

He still finds the game ridiculous, but now that he’s been roped into it with Seongwu, his gut is telling him that backing away is no longer an option. 

“Bring it on, Ong Seongwu.”

* * *

Seongwu once thought he and Daniel could be the best of friends. Back in 10th grade, there was a time when they were forced to sit at the same table during lunchtime, and as their own groups of friends began to exchange stories, it was Seongwu and Daniel in particular who were immersed in the discussions. They were at the same wavelength, had the same sense of humor, and pretty much looked like they’ve been best friends since they were infants.

Seongwu enjoyed Daniel’s company so much that he invited the latter and his group of friends to go bowling with him and his friends from the co-ed school in the neighboring town. 

Bowling day came and everyone was having a great time, with Seongwu introducing some of his girl friends to Daniel’s friends while those who were too shy to interact (Daniel, included) just bowled on the side. 

Seongwu actually liked a girl from that co-ed school, and he was planning to ask her out on that particular day. However, before he could even ask, the girl suddenly leaned in and pointed at Daniel, who was already on his fifth bowling strike. She asked Seongwu if he could introduce her to his cool, wide-shouldered classmate, to which he could only give a hesitant smile. 

His heart was crushed, because he really liked that girl, to the point where he considered her a potential first, first love. Because of that, he made up excuses to avoid introducing her to Daniel, but she made the first move anyway and walked up to Daniel to introduce herself. 

Seongwu never really thought that far ahead—of the possibility of a charming, sweet-talker like him losing to an athletic, wide-shouldered and (as much as he hated to admit it) an equally charming guy like Daniel. 

Well, the feeling of dread didn’t last for long, because Daniel suddenly turned into an awkward mess when he tried to converse with the girl. Despite himself, he still managed to turn her advances down in the most polite way possible, and that amused Seongwu, even though he was still nursing his freshly-broken heart. 

From then on, he saw Daniel as a rival—someone who is his opposite, but not completely an opposite, if that even makes sense. 

But it’s ironic how his rival, whom he has sworn to outdo in the coolness meter, is about to become his pretend boyfriend, all because of a stupid game that his classmate came up with. 

And now he’s sitting in front of said boyfriend with a folder suspended between their faces (courtesy of Sungwoon), serving as a wall to momentarily _ hide _ them from each other. Their classmates have already formed a circle around them, anticipating the mastermind Ha Sungwoon’s instructions on his own version of gay chicken. 

“The first stage is seduction,” Sungwoon announced. “Look deep into each other’s eyes, then slowly inch closer towards the other until your lips are almost touching. Whoever backs out first loses, and well, I guess we don’t have to go to the second stage anymore if that happens.”

Seongwu tried his best to suppress a chuckle. His eyes drifted to Daniel’s palms which were repeatedly rubbing against his thighs. ‘_ Look at this kid being nervous, _’ Seongwu thought as he smiled to himself. 

“You may begin as soon as I lift the folder,” Sungwoon said as he looked from Seongwu to Daniel. “Okay, then. In three, two, one…”

With the folder finally out of the way, Seongwu’s eyes fell on Daniel’s in an instant. It was odd but he felt his entire body freeze at the sudden eye contact. There was something about Daniel’s gaze that had him stumped. Or maybe it was because they’ve never directly looked at each other like that at such close distance before. 

Daniel looked equally as stunned, but he managed to inch closer, taking Seongwu by surprise. Still, Seongwu tried his best not to flinch nor look away. “Oh, Daniel. You’re quite bold,” he managed to tease despite the irregular pounding of his heart against his chest. 

“I’d hate to lose to you, that’s all.” Daniel replied, his expression unchanged. 

This time, it was Seongwu who moved closer. “That’s the spirit.”

Daniel moved again. “Are you not gonna back out?”

Seongwu’s turn. Their knees touched. “Not a chance.”

Daniel placed both palms at the edges of Seongwu’s seat, trapping the latter in between. The whole class hollered. “How about now?”

Seongwu held himself back from gulping. He thought it was unfair how Daniel managed to look so composed, but then his eyes darted to the latter’s ears and noticed that it has already turned bright red. The sight gave him a bit of confidence so he leaned closer until their noses bumped together. “You’ll have to try harder.”

Daniel finally looked slightly alarmed, but his usual soft gaze (which Seongwu used to internally make fun of because it reminded him of a harmless puppy) suddenly turned sharp, sending chills down Seongwu’s spine. 

_ ‘How did this harmless puppy transform into a dangerous wolf in an instant?!’ _

He finally realized that they’re way too close now, to the point where they could literally feel each other’s breaths and see each other’s moles, stubbles, and non-existent hormonal acne. 

“But I _ am _ trying,” Daniel boldly ran his fingers against Seongwu’s chin and pulled him closer until their lips were only a breath away. The way Daniel’s lashes fluttered against Seongwu’s eyelids made a ticklish sensation. Seongwu’s hands which were on his knees were already clenched into fists, but he still refused to budge. 

Seongwu noticed how Daniel’s eyebrows furrowed at his resistance. This oddly gave him another confidence boost. He somehow wants to know how far they would go, or how much effect he could have on Daniel if he actually goes in for a kiss. 

He was about to close the remaining distance between them to find out, when the door suddenly flew open followed by their homeroom teacher’s “What the heck are you doing instead of studying?!” which made everyone scamper back to their seats. 

Seongwu and Daniel were so quick to jump away from each other that they toppled over their seats and fell to the floor. They both hunched down and groaned in pain, although they still managed to crawl back to their original seating places. 

Since Daniel was seated at the front and Seongwu at the back, it was easier for the latter to steal a few, quick glances. But it was more like his eyes just unconsciously followed Daniel, like some strange form of magnetism.

Daniel must have felt his piercing stare, because he suddenly looked back, his eyes automatically meeting with Seongwu’s. He was caught off-guard so he wasn’t able to avoid Daniel’s gaze right away, but after a few seconds, the feeling of embarrassment finally got to him. Seongwu tilted his head to the side so he could look out the window instead of Daniel’s eyes, because God forbid, his heart couldn’t seem to calm down anymore. 

* * *

Two months have passed since they started playing Sungwoon’s version of gay chicken, but Seongwu and Daniel still refuse to back out. They have become so natural at the whole dating thing that it almost feels too real.

On their first day, Sungwoon asked both of them to exchange phone numbers in front of the whole class, and to come up with endearing nicknames for each other in their contacts. 

Daniel thought for a long while before he decided on using _ Baby _ as his contact name for Seongwu, to which Jihoon clapped sarcastically, calling the nickname _ ‘original, profound, and unheard of’ _. 

Seongwu, on the other hand, turned to Minhyun for any ideas. Their class rep just told him to think about what Daniel reminds him of, and conjure a nickname based on that impression. Seongwu nodded, typed on his phone, then presented the nickname that he had chosen: _ Wide-shouldered, Puppy-faced, Dumbass _. 

Woojin laughed and said it was too specific and a bit unromantic, but at least it was way better than Daniel’s basic as fuck _ Baby _.

Still, they went with it. And thus, they began their fake dating shenanigans. Sungwoon, the evil mastermind, made sure to check up on them every day to see if they’re fulfilling their duties as boyfriends. Such duties include, but are not limited to, the following: eating in the cafeteria together, doing cleaning duties together, going home together, etc. Basically, they have to stick beside each other in school at all times, since they’re under the watchful eyes of their conniving classmates.

Suffice to say, they must never flinch from any advancements made by the other, because that would be equivalent to losing. After all, it’s a battle of wits and endurance, so they must tolerate the skinship, the melting stares, the cheesy pick-up lines, or anything else that the other would give.

Daniel thought he’d be used to it by now—_ no _ , he thought he’d be used to _ Seongwu _ by now, but with each passing day spent with his (fake) boyfriend, Daniel had realized he might never get used to his _ Baby _ (which has recently been upgraded to _ Pouty Baby _). 

First of all, Daniel had always been aware of Seongwu’s good looks, but he never really thought much about it, until the fake dating happened. Ever since they had that almost kiss moment on their first day, not a day passed by without him thinking about the prominent moles on Seongwu’s cheeks, his button nose, long lashes, doe eyes, and, of course, those pretty lips. 

_ ‘They probably feel soft.’ _

Daniel was eager to know, for science. He has made several attempts to satisfy his curiosity, because Seongwu would not avoid him anyway in fear of losing, but every time they were close, so close, to finally pressing their lips together, they would get interrupted, either by a teacher or classmate walking in, or the ringing of their phones, among others. It honestly makes Daniel want to punch a wall. 

But is it enough to say that his unfulfilled curiosity is the reason why he gets so frustrated whenever they get interrupted?

His brows knitted at his own question. He was about to rack his brain for an answer, when he felt someone’s fingers slip between his own. The touch was so familiar, and it has become such a natural occurrence that Daniel didn’t even flinch, although the act still makes his heart skip a beat every damn time. 

“What’s got you thinking so hard?” Seongwu asked as he rested his chin on Daniel’s shoulder. He looked so adorable that Daniel almost wanted to throw all logic out the window and just dive in for a kiss. 

Seongwu has become so bold lately, and it’s driving Daniel to the brink of insanity. His (fake) boyfriend has always been a brat, but he used to be a bit timid (reluctant, even) to make any romantic approaches. It was usually Daniel who’d make the first move, which was odd because he’s the inexperienced one when it comes to dating.

Daniel enjoys seeing Seongwu’s flustered expression, which the latter tries so hard to hide even though his eyes always give away. That’s the main reason why Daniel kept doing the first move. But recently, Seongwu has been initiating things, like holding Daniel’s hand out of nowhere, leaning his head on Daniel’s shoulder whenever they’re seated together in class during free period, brushing the strands of hair off Daniel’s face whenever they’re eating, wiping Daniel’s sweat during PE, etc. 

The gestures are simple, but they never fail to make Daniel’s breath hitch. Their classmates used to make a big deal out of it, teasing them for being too engrossed in the game, but now they’re completely used to seeing Daniel and Seongwu be disgustingly sweet to each other. 

“Let me guess…you’re thinking about me, right?” Seongwu asked again as he flashed a teasing smile. When Daniel just stared at him without responding, Seongwu bursted out laughing. His nose scrunched as he laughed, and Daniel had to grip the hem of his uniform to prevent himself from collapsing to the ground due to the cute sight. 

He can’t afford to shy away because he desperately wants to win, so he gathered his wits and flashed a sweet smile as he pinched Seongwu’s cheek. “I’m always thinking about you, baby.”

Seongwu’s expression hardened. Daniel celebrated internally, because even though it’s been months, he still manages to catch Seongwu off-guard with his shameless words.

But of course, Seongwu has gotten better at recomposing himself. “Really?” he asked teasingly as he tapped his fingers along Daniel’s shoulder, letting it run up his neck until it stopped at his jaw. “I wonder what kind of thoughts crossed your mind for you to space out like that?”

Seongwu’s fingers always feel soft and warm on Daniel’s skin. He lowered his head a bit so he could lean against the touch, then he hummed in satisfaction. “You have no idea.”

The way Seongwu gulped despite his unchanging expression never escaped Daniel’s attentive eyes. Seongwu parted his lips in an attempt to say something, but was interrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps. 

Sungwoon appeared, and Daniel gritted his teeth as he tried to stop himself from giving his friend a flying kick. “Thanks for helping me with the cleaning duties, lovebirds. Let’s head back now.”

Seongwu snorted as he broke away from Daniel and turned on his heel. He started walking out of the school’s field, and Daniel quickly followed. The latter picked up his pace until he was finally standing by Seongwu’s side, then he asked, “Were you about to say something earlier?”

“I just thought—” Seongwu gave him a quick glance, then he suddenly chuckled unbelievingly at himself. “I don’t know. The game’s gotten a bit boring, don’t you think?”

Daniel gave him a confused look. “What?”

“I mean, we’ve already proven that we have nerves of steel for making it this far. But then again, we’ve pretty much only done tame stuff so far,” Seongwu explained. “If we keep this up, neither of us will lose. We need to take it up a notch.”

“You have the audacity to call me boring and tame?” Daniel asked with a raised eyebrow.

Seongwu shrugged. “Well, you’re the inexperienced one. Even though it’s a relationship born out of a game, I’m still technically your first boyfriend.”

“_ Ha _! Okay, Mr. Dating Expert,” Daniel scoffed. He grabbed Seongwu’s arm and looked around. Upon noticing that the indoor gym (which was only a few steps away) was open, he dragged Seongwu there, and he even dragged him further inside the gym’s storage room. 

After locking the door behind him, he quickly pinned Seongwu to the wall, or more like, he had no choice but to pin Seongwu to the wall due to the cramped space. “Daniel, what—” 

Daniel bent down a bit so they could be at eye level. Then he gave Seongwu a teasing smirk. “Let’s put your expertise to the test.”

“Hey,” Seongwu forced out a laugh. “I was just kidding earlier. Were you offended?”

Rather than offended, he’s just frustrated—_ very _ frustrated, because he’s been holding back too much. 

“What’s this, Ong Seongwu?” Daniel teased as he leaned closer. His eyes drifted to Seongwu’s lips, and just the sight of them alone was enough to make him feel heady. “Are you gonna back out? We can end this now if you lose.”

But a part of Daniel kept screaming _ ‘Please don’t lose yet’ _. It was his inner self’s desperate plea. 

And like an answered prayer, Seongwu held his gaze firmly and said, “There’s no way I’m letting you win.”

Daniel couldn’t even care less whether the look of relief was evident on his smile. At that point, it already became too difficult to resist Seongwu’s lips, so Daniel decided to just swoop in to get that long-awaited kiss. 

It felt like the world fell away when their lips finally met. The kiss was chaste and delicate. Seongwu’s lips were softer than Daniel had imagined, and having them pressed against his own is probably the most satisfying feeling ever. Despite the innocence of their kiss, there was something about it that felt intimate and electrifying. 

Daniel pulled back for a bit so he could look at Seongwu through half-lidded eyes, but the latter still had his eyes closed, like he’s in a dreamlike trance. He looked absolutely enchanting that Daniel leaned in to capture his lips again and again—from quick pecks to lingering kisses. 

Seongwu’s hands found their way around Daniel’s waist, and the latter smiled against the kiss as he felt himself getting pulled closer, as if they could get any closer than they already are. 

After a few minutes, they broke apart to catch their breaths, just in time to hear Sungwoon call out their names from outside the gym. 

“Yah, answer me, lovebirds! Ugh, where the hell did those idiots disappear to?”

Daniel and Seongwu blinked at each other. Although still in disbelief at what had just transpired between them earlier, they still managed to burst into chuckles. 

Without any words, they both made their way out of the storage room and went to Sungwoon. The evil mastermind looked like he wanted to ask them something, but decided against it after seeing their flushed faces. 

-

Later that night, Daniel messaged Seongwu. 

> **Me: (11:16 PM)**
> 
> _ So how was it? _
> 
> **Pouty Baby: (11:17 PM)**
> 
> _ How was what? _
> 
> **Me: (11:18 PM) **
> 
> _ You know. _
> 
> _ Compared to your previous kisses, how was it? _
> 
> **Pouty Baby: (11:18 PM)**
> 
> _ How would I know??? _
> 
> **Me: (11:19 PM)**
> 
> _ How would you NOT know? _
> 
> _ Unless… _
> 
> **Me: (11:20 PM)**
> 
> _ THAT WAS YOUR FIRST KISS???? _
> 
> **Me: (11:23 PM)**
> 
> _ Hey _
> 
> **Me: (11:25 PM)**
> 
> _ Ong Seongwu _
> 
> **Me: (11:26 PM)**
> 
> _ BABY! _
> 
> **Pouty Baby: (11:27 PM)**
> 
> _ I’m gonna sleep now, dumbass. _

Daniel couldn’t even reply with _ ‘Have a good sleep’ _because he knows that he himself wouldn’t be able to get some sleep after finding out that he’s Seongwu’s first kiss. 

* * *

Four years later and they’re still at it. 

Not even their high school graduation could make Seongwu and Daniel back out from this overextended game of gay chicken. They dragged it on until college, despite getting into different universities. 

Four years of (fake) dating have made them so accustomed to each other that they’ve already become experts at pleasing the other. It’s the product of years of trial and error and years of exploring each other’s bodies. 

But surprisingly enough, even though they are capable of shamelessly throwing themselves into each other by now, they still haven’t gone all the way. Even when they engage in hot make-out sessions, they still find themselves stopping at _ that _ crucial moment. Since they both come into a mutual halt, they can’t really declare any of them as the loser, so they just end it at that. 

It’s been bugging Seongwu lately. He’d often ask himself, ‘Why_ aren’t we going all the way?’ _ But he’d rethink again and wonder _ ‘Is doing the deed too much for two guys who are just dating because of a game?’ _ Which would lead him to another question of _ ‘Does he still consider this whole thing between us a game?’ _ And then the questions would flow nonstop until he feels his head and heart throb in confusion and anxiety. 

Seongwu figured that perhaps it’s time to ask Daniel the pivotal question, which also happens to be the question he’s been avoiding for so long: _ ‘What exactly are we?’ _

Because in Seongwu’s case, he has already fallen way too deep with no way out. 

He looked to the side where Daniel was busy chatting with Jaehwan. They had just come out of the movie theatre where the seniors of the Film Department presented their short indie films. The film that Seongwu directed got the most praise, so when the presentation ended, he had a hard time approaching Daniel because he kept getting bombarded by the students and professors from his department.

“Hey, Bin,” Seongwu glanced at his classmate who produced the film he directed, Moon Bin, and pulled him closer by the arm. He pulled him down and whispered in his ear, “Don’t just stand there. Say something. They won’t stop asking me questions if you keep this up.”

Moon Bin scratched his nape awkwardly as he whispered back, “I’m not good with crowds,”

Seongwu sighed. “Listen, do you see that tall, wide-shouldered, hunk of man with a clean cut hair? You need to help me out so I could slip away from here and go to him. He had to pull some strings just to reschedule their fieldwork so he could come here.”

His classmate followed the direction of Seongwu’s eyes and slowly nodded. “Your boyfriend is hot.”

Seongwu gaped, because he’s never really talked about Daniel with his college friends. Their universities are miles apart from each other—Hanyang University is in Seoul while the Korean National Police University (KNPU) is in Gyeonggi-do. 

They’ve practically become a weekend couple after becoming university students. Seongwu thought they wouldn’t be able to maintain their relationship and that they’d eventually have a fall out, but that wasn’t the case at all. 

In fact, the weekends they spend together have become more meaningful and exciting, because they’re filled with days worth of longing for each other. Daniel, in particular, has become more sweet and attentive. It makes Seongwu want to believe that maybe he’s not the only one who has caught_ real _feelings. 

But what if Daniel’s just really good at pretending like he’s in love? What if he’s just really desperate to win? 

“Boyfriend?” Seongwu laughed when Moon Bin raised an eyebrow at him. “Fine, yes. That’s my boyfriend,” he admitted, because denying is also equivalent to losing, though it’s kind of like an unspoken rule between them. 

“Is he a Criminology student?”

“He is,” Seongwu replied. He looked up at Moon Bin and winked. “So help me out for now, okay? I’ll just introduce him to you later.”

“Why not introduce me now, babe?”

Seongwu froze. He instantly pulled his hand from Moon Bin’s arm and turned to the man who owned that familiar voice. Indeed, Daniel was already beside him, standing among the students and professors who could only stare at him in surprise.

Seongwu bowed apologetically and said, “Please, excuse us,” as he pulled Daniel away from the crowd. “Are you some kind of ninja? You were in a corner with Jaehwan earlier,”

Daniel just stared ahead, refusing to meet Seongwu’s eyes. “I saw you being chummy with that muscly and tall dude so I approached you ‘cause it looked like you were having fun and I wanted to join in.”

“Muscly and tall?” Seongwu eyed Daniel from head to toe. “Look who’s talking.”

“I’m going to Jaehwan’s,” Daniel grunted as he headed for the exit, with Seongwu quickly following behind. “Your professors are probably looking for you now. Just stay here.”

“Daniel—”

“Seongwu-sunbae,” some of his underclassmen suddenly appeared, and he had no choice but to turn to them. “Professor Jung wants to introduce you to Director Choi.”

“I’ll be right there,” he responded before quickly turning back around, only to find Daniel gone. 

-

As soon as Seongwu got home that night, he messaged Daniel.

> **Me: (09:11 PM)**
> 
> _ Where are you? _
> 
> **Kang Puppy (09:13 PM) **
> 
> _ Went for a few drinks with Jaehwan and Minhyun. I’m on my way to the station now. _
> 
> **Me: (9:14 PM) **
> 
> _ You’re going home? _
> 
> **Kang Puppy (9:14 PM)**
> 
> _ Yup. _
> 
> **Me: (9:15 PM) **
> 
> _ Wait, what about our weekend date plans? _
> 
> **Kang Puppy (9:16 PM)**
> 
> _ Save it for next week, I guess. _
> 
> **Me: (9:16 PM) **
> 
> _ Yah! _
> 
> _ I can’t believe this. _
> 
> _ What’s gotten you so riled up? _
> 
> **Kang Puppy: (9:17 PM) **
> 
> _ Nothing. I just wanna go home. _
> 
> **Me: (9:18 PM) **
> 
> _ Dammit, Kang Daniel. _
> 
> _ I haven’t seen you for a WEEK. _
> 
> **Me: (9:19 PM) **
> 
> _ You better come to my house right now so we could talk properly. _
> 
> _ Yah! _
> 
> **Me: (9:20 PM) **
> 
> _ Fine. _
> 
> _ I haven’t KISSED you for a WEEK! Do you know how much I’ve been looking forward to it? _
> 
> **Me: (9:30 PM) **
> 
> _ Are you really not gonna come here? _
> 
> _ Does that mean you’re backing out? _
> 
> **Me: (9:32 PM) **
> 
> _ Good. I win. _
> 
> _ Game’s over, huh? _

When he received no reply, Seongwu really thought it was over, until he heard the sound of his door getting unlocked from the outside. 

Then he heard frantic, running sounds, like someone was getting chased inside his apartment. The doorknob to his room turned until the door flew open. Seongwu quickly sat up from his bed, only to be pushed back down by none other than Kang Daniel. 

“Niel—” Seongwu’s words were caught in his throat as Daniel bent down to claim his lips in such an eager way that it made him gasp for air. Daniel captured the sound in his mouth, sliding his tongue between Seongwu’s parted lips. It made them both sigh in bliss, as if their aching needs have finally been satiated. 

Daniel lifted his head for just a tiny bit, making sure that his lips were still hovering over Seongwu’s. “I scared the taxi driver earlier ‘cause I yelled at him to drive faster.”

Seongwu chuckled as he raised his chin up for a peck. “Were you that scared of losing?”

“Losing?” Daniel asked, confused. “I called for a taxi as soon as I read your message about looking forward to kissing me.”

“So...you weren’t able to read the messages after that?”

“No,” Daniel leaned down to kiss the corner of Seongwu’s lips. “I'm afraid I was too busy yelling at the taxi driver to check my phone. Wait…should I check now? I’m suddenly curious.”

“Don’t,” Seongwu quickly pulled him down by the neck and began nibbling his lower lip. “Whether your feelings are real or not, I’m just glad you’re here with me now.”

Seongwu paused, because that sentence wasn’t supposed to be uttered out loud.

“What?” Daniel asked, with a half laugh. He took Seongwu’s cheeks on his palms and smiled. “Earlier, I was burning with jealousy after seeing you act chummy with another guy. Now, I’m burning with desire after seeing your message. If that doesn’t show how real my feelings are, then I don’t know what would.”

“Wait…” Seongwu blinked as he tried to process what Daniel just said. “Does that mean you want me the same way I want you?”

“You feel the same way, huh?” Daniel’s smile went from ear to ear, like he was happy and relieved at the same time. “God, Seongwu. You have no idea how much I want you.”

Seongwu was pleasantly petrified. After a while, he placed his hands atop Daniel’s, and a suggestive smile crept on his lips. “Then let me know.”

Daniel rubbed the pad of his thumb on his cheek where his moles are at. “Then I probably won’t be able to hold back anymore.”

“Fuck, Daniel. I’m so tired of holding back.”

Daniel gawked at him. “I think it’s the first time I’ve heard you say _ fuck _,” he chuckled as he replaced his thumb with his lips, peppering kisses on Seongwu’s cheek. “It sounded hot.”

“You know what,” Seongwu caressed Daniel’s hair and smirked. “I think it would be hotter if we put that word into action.”

And without further ado, their clothes were instantly discarded. 

  


That night, the_ ‘I love you’_s that they’ve been holding back finally escaped their lips as they made love. 

* * *

A decade into the game and they’re already living in the same apartment. 

Daniel came home after a tiring stakeout, but he’d honestly prefer to be on the field than to go home to an empty apartment. Seongwu’s currently working on a project overseas, and it’s been roughly a month since Daniel has seen him. 

But when he opened the door, he was surprised to see all the lights turned on. His face immediately lit up, because no one else (not even their parents) know the passcode to their apartment except for the two of them. It could only mean that Seongwu’s home, unless they’ve been invaded by a thief (which is a bad move on the thief’s part because he’s in a cop’s apartment). 

Thankfully, it was really Seongwu who was wandering around their kitchen, looking as dashing as ever even on a simple white shirt and track pants. 

Daniel’s heart was filled to the brim at the sight of his boyfriend. He quickly rushed to Seongwu’s side, pulled him by the waist, and showered his face with kisses. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming home?”

Seongwu giggled against his lips before lightly pushing him away so they could look at each other. “I wanted to surprise you. I heard from Jisung-hyung that you’ve been too immersed in your stakeouts lately and that you rarely come home.”

Their superintendent, Yoon Jisung, took it upon himself to become Seongwu’s eyes and ears at the police station. Daniel can’t even remember how the two of them got so close, but it was probably after Seongwu became the intermediary between Jisung and Sungwoon, who is now the superintendent’s boyfriend. 

“What’s the point in coming home if you’re not here?” Daniel asked with a pout. 

“At least clean up the place, dummy.” Seongwu pinched his puckered lips before giving them a peck. “I thought I entered an abandoned warehouse when I came in.”

“Sorry about that,” Daniel chuckled as he followed Seongwu to the dining table. He took a seat in front of his boyfriend and noticed that the latter seemed to be thinking about something. “What’s the matter?”

“I was just thinking,” Seongwu propped his elbows on the table and rested his chin in his hands. “Isn’t it funny how a game of gay chicken led us this far? Like, can you imagine? Neither of us has backed out for ten, friggin’ years.”

Daniel laughed in amusement. “I guess that’s what happens between two, persistent guys who refuse to lose.”

“Babe,” Seongwu shook his head and sighed. “We’ve already lost to each other years ago. I’d like to believe that there’s an unwritten rule where you lose if you fall in-love.”

“Then, you’re right. We both lost,” Daniel looked at Seongwu and drank in the sight of him. His heart hummed in contentment. If he could, he’d willingly lose to Seongwu over and over again. “Do you want to take on a new challenge?”

Seongwu leaned forward, intrigued. “A new one?”

“Yes. And hopefully, neither of us will lose in this one.” Daniel took a deep breath, feeling a bit shy at the sappy challenge that he was about to suggest. “Let’s love each other for the rest of our lives.”

Seongwu’s face flushed red in an instant. He was so taken aback that he got tongue-tied for a minute. After regaining his senses, he huffed out a laugh and nodded. “Sounds good. Let’s seal the deal.”

Daniel clapped his hands together excitedly. “Okay! How do you want to seal it?”

“By putting a ring on it.”

Seongwu suddenly pulled out a tiny box from his pocket and slid it towards Daniel. The latter stopped breathing as he stared at the box. Then he looked up at Seongwu and stammered, “I-I-Is this—”

“That’s my surprise,” Seongwu said with a bashful smile. “I’ve been thinking about it during the nights I’ve spent overseas, while lying on a bed without you by my side. I realized how empty it felt without you, and that I already love you too much, and that I can’t imagine living the rest of my life with anyone but you.”

“That’s—” Daniel covered his mouth with one hand while the other picked up the box from the table. “I was planning to ask you but you beat me to it.”

“It doesn’t really matter who asks first, right?” Seongwu reached his hand out, prompting Daniel to hold it. 

Daniel quickly enveloped Seongwu’s hand into his and gave it a light squeeze. “I know you bought the ring but may I do the honor of asking the question?”

Seongwu stifled a chuckle, then he composed himself and sat up straight. “Okay, go ahead.”

“Ong Seongwu,” Daniel tried his best to sound as calm as possible but his shaky voice made it apparent that he was overwhelmed by the rush of emotions. “I challenge you to love me for the rest of my life, because I assure you that I’ll do the same.” He paused, and upon seeing that Seongwu also had the same, overwhelmed expression as him, he heaved out a fulfilled sigh. “Will you marry me?”

“First of all, I accept your challenge.” Seongwu nodded with a smile. “Second…yes, I will.”


End file.
